Not As We
by Crooked
Summary: Yuffie, a princess-in-waiting, runs from who she intends to be. Vincent, more beast than man, hides from who he has to be. In order to help themselves, they help each other, and soon enough she’s his housemaid and he’s her host. AU. VxY.
1. If At First You Don't Succeed

_Title_: Not As We

_Summary_: Yuffie, a princess-in-waiting, runs from who she intends to be. Vincent, more beast than man, hides from who he has to be. In order to help themselves, they help each other, and soon enough she's his housemaid and he's her host. (AU. VxY.)

_Author's Note_: My take on the whole "Beauty and the Beast" deal with Yuffie and Vincent this time. It's my first time doing something like this (and hopefully finishing it…), while working on some separate fics. I've wanted to do a piece like this for a long time, since I've played DoC (which was, like, back in…whenever it came out. It was awhile ago). I hope you enjoy it!

_Disclaimer_: I do not own Final Fantasy VII.

_Chapter 1_: If at first you don't succeed…

Try, try again.

"She escaped! Hurry, gather the forces!"

It happened every time she tried to break off from her destiny.

"She can't be that far off; the outside guards would've seen her by now!"

The chains would tighten—lash out like a malicious animal intent on her remaining to a path that didn't let her choose.

But she would keep trying. She had to, or it would be the death of her.

Yuffie Kisaragi slipped behind the marble statue of the proud, ignorant form of her father, crouching just as another swarm of those market-guards looked for something more exciting than a stolen materia or pick-pocketed person today. Today Yuffie would make her break—and this time remain the free bird she always wanted to be. As much as she loved her country's people, their culture, their kindness, what she couldn't stand was the relentless duties her father impended on her; no more battle practices, you're not a warrior, no more materia hunting, you're not a treasurer, no more stealing, you're not a thief! It never ended!

But this time, oh this time, she would make it end. She would make it end and start anew, make her life on the edge, seek out the danger, live the life she meant to.

So long as she could get past the palace walls. Then she would, as she once put it, be freed from her cage.

As people cleared the immense courtyard that was thronged right before the palace, Yuffie found her chance as she tugged the tunic over her head and wandered amongst the many that were leaving. This often happened whenever Yuffie tried to escape—her father thought he was genius in the whole bit, since she was sneaky, being able to get lost like a grain of sand whenever people were around, that if people were cleared, they would be able to find her…and it worked, actually. Once. The last time she had attempted her strangled attempt at freedom, they had snagged her.

Stupid, robotic, no-brained guards.

But Yuffie was smarter than she let people think; it was a good tactic just in case she got into trouble…or if she put herself into trouble. Whatever the case, it was a good move.

Even as the citizens began returning to their homes, the brunette smirked as she darted down a thin alleyway and towards the sewage lines. Not her idealistic method of break out, but the last chance she had. After all, it was the first idea she had since she ever had first considered running away, but her…picky choices held her back, and her father had pushed her too close to the edge this time. This time, she didn't care how stinky she got or how disgusting the method…she _would_ be free.

Dropping down into the sickening sensation of…she didn't even want to know, she made sure she closed the hatch leading into the line before proceeding to light her way with materia. For once, she wished pity on the soldiers that were under her father's reign and hoped to the high heavens that he didn't put any of those unfortunate souls to watch the sewer all day long, the nice guy he was. Hopefully he would be ignorant enough not to recognize Yuffie was being serious, and that this was a serious choice she was making.

And, after six hours of walking, she realized that her guess was right.

_Seems like luck is finally on my side_, she thought haughtily, even when her sneakers and socks were soaked down to the last string, and her legs were probably rotting away from the nastiness of the liquid surrounding her thighs. Short-shorts weren't for nothing; half the time they came in more handy than her weapons. Ah, life was spectacular.

…If there was a way out.

_Maybe luck __**isn't**__ on my side_, she grumbled, sinking somewhat. Yuffie considered her plan of route even before she took it—being sure to discard any evidence of doing so—and making sure that the line she took was the easiest to get out of the city. In the end it was, but what she hadn't seen was the ending to the line, or an opening to it. _This sucks_.

Well, if worse came to worst, she could always blow her way out of there like she did with everything else.

…

……

Okay, she was done.

Concentrating for a brief moment, Yuffie tossed the fire materia just before it exploded, creating a nice hole that she could extract herself from the sickening, slimy mess she had herself in. Taking a single, fluid leap, she caught the edge and lifted herself up, clawing at the iced-covered ground for leverage. Wait…ice?

"Snow…" she murmured to herself, pulling her knees up and taking a cupful of it in her hands.

She was…outside.

Glancing about, the young ninja took in the scenery around her and realized—much to her abrupt excitement—she couldn't see her kingdom in sight. All around was nothing but the tall, tall trees, the white, white ground, and the grey, grey sky. And GOD was it BEAUTIFUL!

"Yes, yes, yes!!" she cried, jumping up and down as she did a momentary victory dance. Not a single, stupid guard in sight, not worries, no confrontations about her stupid _duties_, no maids, no sitting up, no angry fathers, nolessonsnopunishmentsnofilthylyingidiotswhoknownothingabouther!! _She was free!!_

Making a shout to the sky, Yuffie paused as she caught her breath, smiling happily as she, at last, felt the cold, clear air on her skin, felt the silence of nature her around…

_Silence_.

There was no one around.

For a moment, the young royal was baffled at the thought; surely there were people out looking around for her, but they had no idea where she was. For all they know, she could've…been killed, or…kidnapped…something horrible. But they would never know. Because they would never find her. She would start walking, and she would leave that life behind forever. The girl huffed.

--

"She's…actually _missing_?" the king gasped, glancing at the officer that stood, ashamed, before his throne. "You can't find her?"

"We've looked everywhere in the previous places over the years—surrounding villages, even, and they have not seen her. There's been a national alert, but we have not yet received back any word upon her whereabouts," the other replied with his head down on one knee.

"Then…she's really gone," he whispered, true fear, fear that he never expected ever to feel, not thinking twice of his daughter's threats of running away to live a life of her own…no, no! At this, anger boiled in his gut as he stood upright, glaring down at his loyal general—fury burned in his eyes, even as he considered the intense and laborious days he would put Yuffie through when he found her. "Keep searching! Search until the ends of the planet, if necessary! _I want her back!_"

--

"Aargh!" Yuffie cried for the _nth_ time that afternoon. Her fifth try and the fire _still_ wouldn't start!

Chucking down the brittle branches and fire materia, she huffed as she plopped down on a rotting log in front of the makeshift fire pit. Some attempt…with all the snow everywhere, everything was practically soaked in water (freezing _cold_ water, to boot), whilst there wasn't a stupid animal in sight. Not like she could eat the things without a FIRE, of course…but _no!_ No flames for the trembling, lost, cold and scared Yuffie!

"I-I mean, the triumphant, fearless, powerful…euh, who cares," she muttered to herself as she hunched over, "nobody's listenin' anyways…"

Puckering her lips, staring half-heartedly at the failed shot for a source of warmth, she sighed. This wasn't _nearly_ as easy as they did it in the books; hells, they could probably make a little cottage with a stone fireplace with a toothpick and some stupid magic words, if they wanted…and they would be warm, and safe…

Another distant howl penetrated her thoughts and made her yelp, making her small, petite frame go down in tremors. _St-stupid wolves! They need t-to go AWAY!_ She exclaimed her mind, not daring to aloud.

It had been three hours from her take away from the sewer, long ago wishing that she had stayed in that stinky, ugly place. There at least it was warm—even the smell made a shiver tremble down her spine, but it was _warm_. Here, there was nothing but the endless tides of hibernating trees, their long, leafless limbs like a spider web as it stretched beyond the horizon. Unlike in her kingdom Wutai, where there was limits, where there was always a place to go back to, here in the forest of mystery and fright, things to go on forever…and there was no-one. Not a single soul.

Even though it been but a day, Yuffie already felt like she had been alone for a lifetime. Back at home she had friends—she _was_ the princess after all—and therefore she was never alone…never had to be alone.

She even had a man waiting for her to be his bride.

But she didn't want to be a bride.

Even when she had thought that her greatest wish was to be alone, this short time by herself made her realize that she didn't want that at all.

She just wanted…her own life.

Another howl, one far too close for comfort, once again interrupted her thought and the royal bolted upright, whipping her gaze about as she tried to see where the sound had come from. Alas, it didn't take very long to make her realize _where_ it came from.

She could see it.

Two dot red eyes glowed hauntingly in the darkness; a soft growl penetrated the tensing silence that hung around them like a curtain, making Yuffie twitch with fear as she came face-to-face with the wolf pack from hell. Though the freedom thing had been nice and all, the survival bit of it was just too much for her. She was done—if only she knew where the sewer line was, she would say she'd made her mistake to her father and return to the palace…

But now was not the time.

Just as she darted away, the wolves took no hesitation at charging after her, rabid and blood-thirsty, snapping at her heels but a hair's length from their target. Yuffie screamed as she waded through the deep, water-drenched snow, unsure of where she could possibly run to that would bring her safety, but knowing that she had no other choice. Not to mention that she hadn't eaten anything in too long, she was almost out of energy. This wasn't good…she was a goner for sure!

"Stay away!" she cried, swatting at the snapping fangs that strived to clamp on her soft skin, her vulnerable limbs.

But she didn't want to die!

Yet, even as she attempted to escape the evil monstrosities, she realized that going through the snow like this, she would never make it to any kind of safety. She couldn't even climb up the trees because they would rip her down within moments!

_I just have to keep going_, she told herself, even when her lungs burned and her heart threatened to beat right out of her chest, _I have to…keep…going!_

A growl right by her ear made her scream yet again and flip over, using the last of her fire materia to blow the offending monster away. The creature yelped; it bounced backward, blood splattering as it rubbed on its face even as the others advanced forward on her, their tones promising a terrible outcome, their crimson eyes sending a tremor of horror right down to her bones. _Was this meant to be?_ She thought to herself, a strange idea drifting their her mind at the hand of death, _Was I destined for this…this ugly death?_

Hells, she would even take freezing to death over being mauled anytime.

But it seemed like not that time.

For she heard something—and seemed like the wolves did, too, as they went deadly silent and crouched down in fear the moment a throaty, deep and horror-stricken growl overcame their own. The tone alone gave Yuffie the impression of a bigger, nastier predator coming to play with the smaller children; like while the pawns were still at war, the king decided to step out onto the playing field. The young woman never was one for chess.

However, though the wolves did hear a beast beyond their power interrupt their session, they did not ignore the fact that Yuffie was still there, too. A lone wolf recognized its last chance and leaped, claws and fangs extended as Yuffie screeched and prepared for the worst…when something much, much worse stopped the furious forest creature in its path. A claw hand held outright and backhanded the wolf away, breaking its neck immediately as it fell limp to the ground. The others weren't so foolish and abandoned the plan instantly, feathering out into the forest to escape their other companions' terrible fates.

But that's not what concerned Yuffie in the least.

The moment she saw those molten gold, piercing eyes, she screamed.

The face of the beast snapped towards her and the monster growled in turn, orbs burning with rage and a taste for meat—perhaps her own—imprinted across their glowing surfaces. The beast must've been at least ten feet tall, and with the wings tightly tucked against its back, made it look moreso imposing and deadly than the headdress, its claws, its rippling muscles needed to do. Yuffie succumbed to a fit of tremors even as her voice escaped her throat and the king stepped forward, staring at the small pawn like just she was—prey.

Taking her two upper arms without an ounce of strength, he lifted her to his eyesight and she once again attempted to scream, only this time her voice dimmed and fell away. Then all at once, she fainted.

--

_A/N:_ First chapter. I hoped you liked it; please read and review.

By the way, the way I see "Chaos Vincent" is in his DoC form, not the original Final Fantasy VII one. Just thought I'd clear that up since I don't really like the original…he looks like he just came from a bad 1950s movie about Satan or something. The DoC version just makes him look so much hotter. (laughs)


	2. Pleased to Make Your NonAcquaintance

_Author's Note_: A big thanks for the people who reviewed in the previous chapter. :) I'm very glad you liked it and hopefully you will continue reading. Your thoughts are always appreciated!

_Disclaimer_: I do not own Final Fantasy VII.

_Chapter 2_: Pleased to Make Your Non-Acquaintance

_Ouch…_

Yuffie drifted in and out of consciousness, her mind foggy as it tried to reboot itself and come to terms with reality which had been pushed away for who-knows-how-long. The young woman groaned as dark eyes creaked opened and, while she expected to find herself awake in her bed back at the palace, what she discovered was very, very different.

She was wrapped up in a thick blanket that rested on a large couch that seemed to have more pillows than were necessary; this, along with several other overly-stuffed chairs, were placed delicately in the midst of a small den that had a crackling fire at the far end and gave off gentle, warm light to ease her worry. There in front of her was also a coffee table—it seemed to be very old, made of dark cherry oak wood, and with red and gold rugs and tapestries, Yuffie felt very…cozy, in a dreary sort of way. It was almost medieval, the way things looked.

Whoever lived here needed a housekeeper.

Nevertheless, she also noticed a bowl of warm water on the table, along with a cloth that looked used. Yuffie, in all her curiosity, wondered where that person might be.

"Don't move," a deep voice suddenly murmured, making her gasp.

"Who are you?" she asked in turn, attempting to sit up.

"I said don't move," the husky tone said a bit stronger this time, seemingly to come from behind the couch.

"If you tell me who you are, I wouldn't need to," the young woman returned haughtily, puckering her lips in suspicion.

There was a soft sigh, sounding more annoyed than angry, before he responded, "Just…call me Vincent."

"Okay, Vinnie…" Yuffie responded, "Why aren't you coming into the light?"

"I…don't want you to see me," came the response, clearly showing inferiority.

"Well, okay…um, where am I?" she decided to ask.

"A small village a few miles away from Midgar," Vincent returned, "tomorrow you can leave for there…doctors will be able to help you a lot more than I can."

"Well, gee, thanks," the young ninja responded with the roll of her eyes, "That's what my old man kept telling me but I never believed him."

"I didn't mean it like that," he said and before she could respond, he continued: "There's some food in the kitchen…you'll have to get it yourself."

Yuffie thought for a brief moment, already recognizing that it was, indeed, the beast from the forest that she saw earlier. That same voice…the underlying growl to each syllable was evident enough, if not the fact that he didn't want to face her. With this in mind, she realized that he was probably afraid to do so in fear of her screaming again. Well, there was no way they were going to get anywhere with things like this. Sitting up, despite a soft growl coming from behind the couch, Yuffie poked her head above the edge of the furniture and notice an open door on the other side. There was clearly something standing on the other side of it, as she could see its (his) shadow.

"I'm sorry for screaming earlier," she said softly as she glanced down at the floor, "it wasn't that I was scared…well, I kinda was from the wolves, it was just…unexpected. I mean, I don't see things like that in everyday life, and…I'm sorry. I promise I won't do it again, just…come into the light."

There was a momentary silence before Vincent shifted on his feet and murmured, "There's…food—"

"I can't thank you properly without you looking at me," she continued just then, throwing him a loop that made him twitch.

A pregnant pause passed between them before Vincent turned and walked away, surprising the young woman in the least. She's really thought she'd hit a spot there, but she supposed that being here alone enough, one might tend to be a little less social than the average Joe. That was besides the fact that she'd screeched in his face (almost twice), before he'd done the decent thing and rescued her.

_Maybe_, she thought with a heavy heart, _it wasn't just me_.

--

Just as Vincent had promised, there was a flourish of food in the kitchen.

Of course it took her two hours to find the damn kitchen, but the food there was worth the long walks and dead ends. And when those chocolate brown eyes had rested upon the first grape and piece of bread, a young, adventurous girl became an evil food monster herself. Not a half an hour later was all the plates cleared and cups of wine and water gone, and her tummy full. _Maybe he __**doesn't**__ need a housekeeper,_ she thought whilst rubbing her warm belly in happiness. He was a helluva cook and she wouldn't trade that for some old fat lady (like the one back at the palace) any day.

"Your room is upstairs," came that magical voice out of nowhere again, "the door is open and lit."

Yuffie grinned as she slipped from her chair, saying, "Thank you, I…I'm very appreciative that you're letting me stay here, you know."

"You're welcome," was the emotionless response.

Silently as possible, Yuffie made it to the door before she sprung out into the hallway, leaping to catch the beast unawares. In all her deviousness, however, he had already disappeared off somewhere else, making her slump in defeat. Looks like things were going to be a lot more difficult than she first comprehended—that was besides the whole running-away bit. _Stupid Vinnie,_ she muttered, _he's just brought this upon himself_.

And she vowed that she'd see his face if it was the last thing she did.

--

The room Vincent had given was (not-so-surprisingly), covered in a layer of dust, giving her the faint impression that the space hadn't seen a feather duster or even had a living presence in it for at least twenty years. The young woman cringed as she noticed the various spider webs that were sown in the corners of the space, every so often a bug skittering across the floor to seek refuge in another of the house's cracks. Shivering in disgust, Yuffie walked over to the bed and slapped it a few times, a plume of dust rising into the air and making her sneeze.

"This is going to be a long night," she muttered to herself, "I can already tell."

Twenty minutes later she reluctantly placed herself under the covers after she blew out the oil lamp, only the light of the moon offering her some relief from her worst nightmare: bugs. She could already hear them…sneaking and biting and eating and chewing and skittering some more and eating some more and _ohmygodthey'reweresogross!!_ Now hyperventilating and quivering enough to make her teeth chatter, Yuffie could almost imagine one huge, black bug underneath her bed that was just waiting until she fell asleep…!!

"_Oh my god, bugsgetawayIhateyounastyewbugsdiedieDIE!_" she screamed as she leaped up and stamped her feet on the ground, once in awhile catching the fatal _'crunch'_ of their shells being crushed. Whirling around gracefully, so much so that her ballroom dance teacher would be proud, she flailed her arms whilst scratching her hair and rubbing her arms as it would all be enough to create an invisible barrier from the tiny monstrosities.

Within minutes the young woman was out in the hall and down the stairs, wailing as her imagination took a turn for the worst and all she could see thousands of spiders bursting out of every crack and corner, all with their little fangs and poison ready to sink their teeth into her veins and paralyze her before taking her down to the evil spider queen and making her into goo to feed more of her larva!

"_BLAAAAAAAAGH!!_" the young woman cried as she ran around in circles until she rammed into something hard—and warm.

Falling back with an 'oomph', Yuffie glanced up (and up and up and up), to once more see the golden eyes of her savior. Vincent was staring at her like she had lost her mind—which, in twisted logic, was kinda true—before he asked, seemingly afraid to, "What are you doing?"

Leaping to her feet, the young woman hid behind the great beast and encircled her fingers around his belt loops (or something; she couldn't really tell, but she hung onto it), and whispered, "The bugs—they're everywhere! They're out to eat me!"

The other attempted to face her, but failed as she resumed to keep tucked behind him, like he was her Great Wall of China against the malevolent bug queen out to get her. The creature rolled his eyes and, with a deep sigh (and with an ounce of reluctance), took her hand with one of his own and pried her small fingers from his costume before he faced her. The girl was going to have a heart attack soon until she realized how innocent the situation was.

"There are no evil bugs out to get you—this is an old house and it's winter," he murmured, shaking his head, "they're just looking for a warm place to sleep, just like you."

"I don't even know how _you_ sleep with all their skittering and gnawing and—_EEEEK!_" she screeched as she kicked her leg and sent flying a tiny spider. "See what I mean? See what I mean?" she exclaimed as she clung to his arm, "They all just want to eat me for dinner!"

Vincent sighed once more (he had a feeling this was going to be a long night before he even brought her to the castle), before he shook his head, trying to figure out what to do. "If you'd like, you can sleep in the den," he murmured as he pointed, only his silhouette appearing against the moon, showing her the proper direction, "I spend more time in there, so there should be less bugs."

"Can't I just sleep with you?" she suddenly asked, send a wave of shock right down to his bones.

For a moment, his mouth hung open in stupor as he lost all the words to say to her. _She's afraid of these things a tenth of her size, yet…not of me?_ He thought, and though he should've known better, he couldn't help but feel appealed by her innocence. She was like a little lost child; looking for refuge, a warm and safe place to sleep, someone to snuggle up against. _Maybe that's just me_, he muttered as he shook his head, rubbing it for a moment before he forced himself to concentrate on the situation. He couldn't let his own wishes or emotional thoughts get in the way. _She's just scared and not thinking clearly_.

"I've been living here for a long time," he murmured instead, "if they were evil and intended to eat anyone, it would've been me long ago. Now get some sleep…"

"Yuffie," the young woman returned, but her tone clearly showed that she didn't seem the type to be giving up so soon, "Yuffie Kisaragi."

"Get some sleep, Yuffie, you'll feel better in the morning," he returned before stepping back and heading towards the bottom of the stairs.

"But can't we watch a movie or something? Please, Vincent, I'm scared!" she said with a whine, even though she hated having to admit it.

The statement must've been enough to make himself reconsider before glanced towards the den once and then resting back on her. His golden eyes were pulsing with thought, looking like liquid gold against the darkness that made them almost…enchanting. The pale moon did not do much to reveal any of his features, but she could barely see the soft glow of his face, the one she noticed had flawless features—perfect nose, full bottom lip, high cheek bones that made her gut twist. Besides the whole beast thing he had going on, his face was pretty much the reflection, definition, definitive of a simple word: uber hotness.

"All right, come on," he sighed, going ahead of her as he walked into the den.

"Yay!" she exclaimed as she followed after him like a puppy, so close that she nearly stepped on his heels. "Do you have any comedy ones? I'm too scared to watch a scary one."

"I figured," he murmured, "they're silent, though."

"It's okay," she returned as she placed herself on the couch while he got the old TV set.

Yuffie was used to have the best quality of everything, and therefore was surprised by the sight of the TV when he presented it. It looked like it had been from fifty years ago or something…though, she had to admit, looked pretty cool. However it, too, looked like it had been used quite enough, probably due to the fact that it had to get boring with no-one around all the time. She would probably find comfort in something like that, too…it was the perfect kind of company. It was only there to entertain.

Once Vincent plugged it in, the screen burst to life as the silent show began. Yuffie snuggled down in the blanket that remained from when she was there last, making her feel far more safe than before. Even the bugs appeared to be held at bay by the beast's presence, and it seemed like it was not because of what he was at all. Well, that was probably part of the reason, but she still felt like with whatever Vincent crossed, he imposed his authority and made sure it knew he was boss. That would change really, really quickly with her around, of course.

"Vincent?" Yuffie asked into the darkness, noticing that she no longer could see his reassuring, bright eyes.

"I'm right here," he murmured, once again behind the couch.

"You're not leaving, are you?" she asked.

"No, I'm not," came the response, his tone sound almost like he was…gentle. Though the growl was still cloaked it in a black mass, he still sounded…soft.

"Okay, 'cause…I don't want you to," she murmured, her eyelids becoming heavy. "You keep the monsters away…"

With that, her voice slipped away and, though Vincent expected to have her rattle to him all night, she fell asleep quite quickly.

_Maybe she needed to rest her head_, he thought briefly before stepping up right behind the couch. Glancing down at the tiny woman, her frailty more than he could bare, more than he could trust himself to deal with, he couldn't help but feel his heart beat with something that he hadn't felt in a long, long time. When she had fainted, he had feared that he killed her simply by picking her up. Luckily that was not the case, but he did not have the confidence in himself to resume this charade and expect things to turn out okay. Eventually he would screw up and she would either end up burned by the villagers, condemned by some other monsters trying to get to him, or even he…he might end up killing her in the end.

While he wished he could break free from the chains of entitlement, that in the miserable thirty years he'd been caged in this castle, he realized long ago that he'd never be free.

Never.

--

"Oh my god, this is the best bacon and eggs in my _life!_" Yuffie exclaimed as she stuffed herself with the potatoes, vegetables, milk and other stuff that had been included into the large meal. "You need to go professional or something because this is _amazing!_"

Though the beast could nowhere be seen, the young woman knew very well he was watching and listening to everything she was doing. "Thanks," came the expected response, albeit it seemed like he wasn't taking her seriously.

"I'm serious, though! Can I hire you?" she murmured, pointing towards the almost-empty plate.

"…" No reply was given, but she had the distinct feeling he was smiling. Smirking. Making fun of her. Well, two could play that game.

"Vinnie?" she asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"Don't call me that," he muttered, but he was definitely still smug. Jerk.

"Okay Vinnie," she returned before downing the last orange juice. He needed to get his own food magazine or something because this stuff was _good!_

"You're tunic is at the door," he said softly before disappearing.

Yuffie paused a moment, her heart sinking somewhat as she realized her short-lived visit, her genuinely good visit, would be ending so soon. In all honesty, it wasn't that bad here…it was clear nobody came up here by the anti-social anthropoid that could make amazing food, but not keep his house from looking like a haunted castle…maybe she could…

A few minutes later, Yuffie was standing in front of the closed door, hand hovering just above the unpolished doorknob that beckoned her to open it. Or maybe Vincent had mind powers that were attempting to push her out of his dwelling, his cave, his loathsome excuse for existence. _I shouldn't think like that_, the young woman cursed herself, eyebrows furrowing, _maybe he just needs…a little push out of the door of his comfort zone_. Maybe he even _wanted_ one. Though she had no way of really understanding that—after all, it wasn't like her maids were pushing her out of her room, they were more intent on chaining her to her books, her duties, even the bathtub sometimes—she knew what it meant to be lonely. She had friends, sure, but they weren't really…_friends_.

Besides that, she never really had anything to go back _to_. There was the palace, her people, but her old man could always get a new heir. It wasn't like it could be hard for him. There was going to be people looking everywhere for her—for all she knew, the moment she stepped out from the door, they would snatch her up, drag her back home and no doubt her father would be furious. _That_ was something she definitely didn't want to face.

With that in mind, the young woman quickly whirled about and faced the empty threshold of the grand castle, saying loudly so that Vincent could hear, "Let's make a deal."

There was a sigh. Was he expecting her to do this?

"No," he responded.

"Please! I mean, all I ask is for a few weeks," she responded, opening up her palms to him, "and I won't be a waste of time. I'll do your cooking, your cleaning, anything you'd like!"

"No," he said again, though this time his tone changed. It didn't seem the monotone type he was used to using, but…something different.

"I'll offer you companionship," she said as a last resort, though it was a stretch. Maybe she would just end up pissing him off and having him throw her out of his home. It wouldn't be like it was the first time it happened—

Suddenly, and to Yuffie's amazement, Vincent suddenly appeared before her eyes, side-stepping away from the corner of a hallway that broke off into the west wing of the castle. What little of a good imagery she had used to visualize him was now completed as she looked upon his valiant headdress, his red collar line and chest, the golden armor that made him look like a demonic knight; powerful, imposing and still with flawless, perfect features. Muscle—oh, that muscle—looked as if it was constructed by angels, golden trim holding his abs in rapture. His blood-red wings rested on his back were torn and seem a little worse for the wear, but the dark touch only added to his mysterious composure.

"You want a companion like this?" he asked in almost a hiss.

Yuffie regarded him for a moment, setting down her knapsack as she strode up to him. A smile twitched at her lips before she said, "I wouldn't mind in the least bit," she responded before leaning back on her heels and continuing, "But now I get to thank you properly," the loop was thrown and his confident composure was gone, before she finished: "Thank you, Vincent, for saving my life."

Silence hung there for a brief moment as he simply stared at her, unsure of what to say, unsure of what to do. Finally, he nodded quietly before he responded, his voice so soft she almost couldn't hear him, "You're welcome, Yuffie. And…you may stay until you feel ready to leave."

She smiled.

However Vincent just couldn't help but feel like he'd made the worst mistake of his life.

--

_A/N_: Read and review, please!


	3. HouseMaidPrincessPerson

_Author's Note_: I'm practically laughing my way through this story with Yuffie's craziness—I haven't written her in so long that I've kinda missed it, being that she's seems to have the most character from the game. Funny because Vincent seems to surpass Cloud on the Emo-Meter, and he should have to put up with the maniac of the century; there's Squaresoft for you. "Let's, er, do a _love triangle_, and put the _vampire _and the _insane ninja_ together, let's just give our players' heart attacks, shall we?" Turned out to be the most popular Final Fantasy game of all time…

Anyways, enough with my babble and onto the third chapter.

Thanks for the reviews on the last chapter! It's very sweet of you guys and I'm very appreciative of all the feedback I've received. Thank you so much!

_Disclaimer_: I do not own Final Fantasy VII.

_Chapter 3_: House-Maid-Princess-Person

"_You're driving me CRAZY!_" he roared, nearly shaking the house.

"But they're everywhere! They are, look at them! They're going to _eat me!_" Yuffie screeched as she continued to stomp on the floor, and even though Vincent was three floors below her, he could still hear her cries, her stomping, _and_ all the times she kept running into walls. It was pushing him to the brink of insanity, and he wouldn't be able to handle this much longer. Either he was going to have to kill every single one of those damn bugs or he wouldn't get a wink of sleep tonight—either way, it seemed like he was going to be awake for awhile now.

Stomping up to her room, he glanced about at the sight and noticed that at least twenty bugs had already been subjected to the young woman's wrath and wouldn't to see the next light of day. Vincent almost felt bad for the poor creatures—at least when he was living here alone, he felt like he wasn't completely abandoned in the world, even if they _were_ just bugs. Now that he had a live, breathing and mentally unstable woman in his house, it seemed like most of his "friends" would have to go. Figures.

"I-I hate them!" she whimpered, leaping over to him and stepping on his feet as if doing so would make them all go away.

"I think your stomping is just waking up more of them," he muttered, rolling his eyes, "Go sleep in the den tonight and we'll clear them away tomorrow."

The only reason why they hadn't done so already was because Yuffie had to take at least three tours to get the layout of the castle in her brain (excluding Vincent's personal quarters which he promised to show her when it was more…composed), before he showed her everything else about the castle and the way he ran things. It was a basic procedure, but with all her questions, it was nighttime before they knew it and he'd almost wished they had done the cleaning _while_ taking the tour. If she was staying for awhile, it'd be imprinted on her memory soon enough, but there was no time like the present when getting rid of her worst fears of the house so he could keep his sanity in check.

"C-can't I just stay with you?" she whimpered, moving her arms around his abdomen, "I feel like the walls are just gonna…cave in on me!"

"They're not going to cave in on you," Vincent returned as he felt a pang in his heart and pulled at her arms to release him, "They're just walls. They're there to protect you, not harm you. I'm sorry for yelling at you, let's go downstairs."

"Are you going to stay with me? We should watch another movie," she murmured, fingers lacing in the bands that hung around his hips, a form of habit she devised whenever she got frightened—wait a second, did he just say he was sorry?

Once more Vincent sighed before he nodded, taking her down to the den and seating her on the couch. Within moments he had that old TV set up once again, but this time she insisted that he sit on the couch beside her.

"It isn't like your appearance is an issue anymore," she responded when he gave her a questioning gaze, "and I don't want you standing behind the couch."

Though he wished he could just go back to the basement again, Vincent knew that she wouldn't allow him that freedom, either. Thus he sighed and seated himself next to her, leaning back as they watched another old black and white movie. Vincent suspected that Yuffie had a rather…privileged upbringing due to the fact that every aged article, artifact or antique she found was returned with great interest and curiosity, just as the TV had been. The estate was old—older than the beast himself, in fact, therefore there was a lot of stuff even Vincent didn't know about. Either way, it nearly made him smile the way she would get worked up about all the older cultures.

"I'm hungry," she suddenly mentioned, her face contorting. Getting up, Vincent made to follow her (in case of another bug attack), before she waved him to sit again and said, "No, no, no. You wait here, I'll get it. Don't worry, I'll be fine."

_Right_, he muttered to himself, but nodded nevertheless. _When she comes back screaming and ranting, I'm __**not**__ going to be sympathetic_.

Yuffie disappeared for several minutes, looking for something special in the kitchen that Vincent had given her earlier and really set off her taste buds. They were a kind of nut and though Yuffie wasn't always one for healthy eating, everything the guy had given her had been, to say the least, a delicacy. Now that she craved for it, she couldn't deny the calling and quickly found them. Returning to the den, she found herself in for a surprise.

Vincent was laid across the couch, wings tucked neatly behind his shoulder blades while his breathing was steady and deep, showing that he had receded into a restful sleep. Crouching down in front of him, Yuffie couldn't help but smile at the sight of such an imposing beast, something that could cause so much harm looked so vulnerable. _Like a lost puppy_, the young woman considered as her fingers trailed across the dark red headband that was strewn over his forehead. Hands caught tendrils of the headdress, making it appear even moreso like a crown—like dark rays of black and crimson over the horizon. It made him just look so…royal. So…alluring and mysterious.

Yuffie liked mysterious.

Standing upright, the princess took the blanket bundled on the floor and draped it over him, tucking him in tightly before she seated herself on the chair beside him and proceeded to watch the rest of the movie. However, despite the movie's interesting aspects, its older nature, up till the time she fell asleep, the young woman couldn't help but once in awhile cast a glance at her sleeping demon. He just looked so cute.

--

_God, this couch is so uncomfortable_, Vincent muttered as he awoke from his dreamless sleep and leaned back to feel a few too many places pop. _Why that woman likes it more than the beds, I'll never know_.

"Good morning."

The voice made him turn upwards, glancing up to see Yuffie hanging over the chairs next to him, smiling stupidly. "Did you have a nice sleep?"

"Yes," he responded, "Did you?"

"Yeah," she murmured with a grin, "No bugs got me."

The comment made him nod as he rubbed his eyes and sat upright, wondering what he should cook for breakfast today. Unfortunately he had only harvested for one person this winter, and so long as Yuffie had the appetite that she did, he might have to go and send her into the village for more supplies. Alas, not even Christmas had bound around the corner and there was still several months of winter after the holiday. Maybe he should build a greenhouse instead…it would certainly make things a lot easier, and he thought he remembered having some excess wood in the shed outside.

"Okay," Yuffie suddenly mentioned, making him turn to her, "We're going to have breakfast, and after that, I'm going to clean the house. Deal is, I'm going to clean your room, too—"

"I don't—"

"Ah-ah! I'm going to do your room _last_—maybe even tomorrow, if you get lucky. But I'm pretty fast and pretty energetic, so you're going to have to hide whatever you don't want me to clean up, got it?" she responded, that grin of pure evil across her features, "If you're super-super lucky, I might even do it the _day_ after tomorrow, but you still have to hide whatever's down there _today_. So let's go!"

Vincent stared at her like he had just discovered she was actually of chocobo descendant, before his eyes narrowed and he murmured, "Fine. But no looking in the places I hide my stuff."

"Deal," she responded with a smirk. "Do you want me to help you with breakfast?"

"No, it's okay," he returned while getting to his feet, expanding his wings as he stretched, "it's easier for me to do it alone."

"Can I watch?" she said instead, watching with amazement as she saw the full length of the appendages. They really were cool—they were vibrant red and torn, but the way they were constructed was the best part about them. However, her trance was broken as Vincent turned away from her and began walking out and she followed him out of the den.

"If you'd like, but be careful. There's a lot of sharp knives," he murmured while heading towards the kitchen.

His long strides surprised Yuffie—she supposed it was because he was nearly twice her height, but it still made her walk so fast the point where she was jogging. "Would you slow down?"

"I'm not walking that fast," he returned.

"Well, Mr. Daddy Long Legs, not all of us can reach the Golden Saucer in three steps, you know," she growled while making her strides longer, so much so that she eventually passed him up into the kitchen. "I'm going to clean this, too, so if there's anything you need to warn me about or if you want hide here, too, then do it just after breakfast cause I'm doing it first."

"Very well," Vincent returned as he began taking out various tools and materials to make their meal. Quick and experienced hands moved positively gracefully, and though they were large and looked prone to being clumsy, they were anything but. Vincent swiped out knives and swung them about, shifting them in his fingers as if they were mere play toys rather than being possible dangerous weapons. No wonder he told her to watch out.

Seating herself at the island counter that rested in the middle, the young woman watched as Vincent skillfully began his work; it almost made him look normal, in a weird sort of way. The whole idea of having someone like Vincent (who looked as dark and foreboding as a vampire could get) do a daily ritual as well as he did really was kind of…a turn-on. The thought was quickly dispersed as Yuffie shook her head, blushing deeply whilst she forced those weird thoughts down a hole, never to resurface again. Like seriously; she needed to grow up.

_But gawd, for a monster he __**is**__ pretty good-looking_, she murmured to herself as she let her eyes drift like feather-soft fingers over his defined back muscles and tough thighs. _Nice biceps, too_.

That made her realize something.

"Why are your hands different form each other?" she imposed the question, making him twitch as if he had forgotten she was there.

"They've always been that way," he responded softly while chopping up some vegetables.

"Well, they're cool," she murmured while coming on the left side of him, looking at this hand in particular for its shape and color. Whilst his right seemed more like a gloved hand than an actual claw, it was his left that appeared to be made of golden metal, his fingertips resulting in sharp points, good enough to pierce through skin and muscle, perhaps even bone, and cause death. Rather, they were as precise as a surgeon as Vincent continued to prepare the food.

"Thank you," he replied, his tone seemingly surprised by the fact that she found him "cool".

Reaching out, the young woman took the hand without consent and lifted it up to her vision, inspecting it as Vincent, a bit stunned by her action, simply allowed her to do what she wished. In truth, it really _was_ cool, being that it was coming from the strangest man in the universe (a.k.a Vincent), and she was fond of the unique and extraordinary. Especially that hand; if it was there since long ago, then what was it designed for?

"I suppose to defend myself," the beast replied once she asked, taking the limb back as he continued on with his job, "I'm not really sure, either."

"Defend from what?" she returned just as quickly.

"Bad things."

"Like those wolves?"

"Sure."

"Is that why you're shoes are pointy, too?"

"Perhaps."

"Were you born this way?"

At that question, Yuffie immediately recognized that she had taken it too far the moment he had stopped his cutting and made way to stare at her, sending a shiver of fear rolling down her spine. To make up for the near-fatal mistake, she murmured in a quivering voice, "Can you fly?"

The expression across his face was stone-cold as he hacked through the final bit of squash as if it were no more than butter before he murmured, "Yes."

"That's cool," she squeaked before turning away from those piercing, golden orbs that were burning with annoyance. Another bad characteristic of Yuffie that she had to work on, admittedly. Evidently that was a touchy subject _way_ too sensitive for her to put her often head-strong inquiries on. With that idea, she removed herself from his side and decided just to sit and actually behave for once before he chopped her head off. God, why didn't she listen to her mentor when he said she needed to work on her manners? She really _did_ need to...she just never wanted to believe it.

For the next twenty minutes, Yuffie spent her time passed out again while Vincent worked silently on the meal. He had been a bit worried, with her being here and all, that she might get too curious for her own good. Of course that was her nature in all rights, if he made any assumptions about the young woman, and he knew that eventually he would have to come to terms to her about his past. Albeit it wasn't the best, but so long as he left her in the dark, she would either be told by him or find out herself…and he feared the latter for her reaction.

After all, it wasn't just the beast that was on his exterior…it was just as much within his heart as it was across his skin, and that was something he ultimately never wanted to admit to the young woman. He wasn't an ex-assassin for nothing.

Of course, he had some inquires of his own about the girl's disposition—it wasn't everyday that a youngling like herself was running from wolves in a part of the forest that was often abandoned for having monsters too dangerous to deal with. It was quite clear that she hadn't really considered the danger before going in…if she knew it at all.

Setting the plate of food down in front of Yuffie, he seated himself across from her, used to eating in the kitchen. Seeing so many chairs in the dining room empty reminded him too much that he was alone; of course even with one filled, it gave this strange warmth inside his abdomen…something about Yuffie really stirred him up. She was like a ragging storm that had blown into his house and was practically whipping his world apart—changing it, perhaps even for the better.

There was a soft sniffing before a single eye creaked open to discover a pile of food in front of her, Yuffie gasped and bolted upright, clasping the utensils in her eager hands as she dug feverously into her food. Vincent didn't even need to say anything to attract her attention—if he did it with a broiled chop or steamed vegetables or something else absolutely amazing, he'd have her attention for a lifetime.

"Why were you running in the forest?"

Wow. The first sentence from him that consisted more of three words. They were getting somewhere!

"I was running away," she responded after she had swallowed, "away from my home, I mean."

"Why?" he pressed.

"Well…let's just say…you stay here because you don't want to be bothered and I leave because I don't want to be bothered," she responded with a gentle smile.

Yuffie was a bit surprised at how proper Vincent was when eating; not that she expected him to act like a snarling monster when it came to his food, but she hadn't expected him to be so…well-mannered. "Bothered by whom?"

"Everyone," she sighed, setting her chin on her palm, "but mostly my dad. He just was totally relentless about everything I did in my life…'This is the way you walk' or 'No, you cannot learn sparring, you're a _lady_'."

Vincent glanced at her briefly, an air of amusement clinging to his form. Did he think this was funny, or was she just imagining his face sloughing off its emotionless mask and to see the soft Vincent beneath? No way. Just no way. "Perhaps he was right."

"Was _not!_" she exclaimed almost immediately as she threw her arms up into the air in exasperation, "I have a right to chose who I want to be! I _am_ his creation after all—look what I turned into! Think he's proud or _what?_"

"I said _perhaps_," the beast murmured as he took a drink, the corners of his lips twitching, "Meaning, _maybe; possibly_. Not like _definitely_, which is—"

"Do you read a dictionary all day? I get the point," she muttered, nearly done with her entire plate, "It's just that…I was born the way I was, and he just added fuel to the fire. I was supposed to be adventurous, intent on seeing the world…not like a caged bird. Pretty to look at, but never being able to fly."

_Fly, huh?_ Vincent muttered to himself as he stared at the juice in the glass that his hand curled around. "Forgive me."

"Huh? For what?" Yuffie perked, cocking her head.

"I know what it's like to be trapped against what we've been created to do and what our hearts tell us," he murmured softly, his eyes drifting across the table as he reminisced, "often it's the right thing to do that the books tell us is against the rules."

The woman gaped at him for a few minutes, making the other somewhat uncomfortable (though he didn't show it on the surface), before she responded, her voice in awe, "You just summed up my life in a single sentence."

"Honored, I'm sure," he muttered.

The girl broke from her trance as she shook her head before pushing her plate away and rising from her seat, saying, "Okay, time to get to work."

"Give me a few," Vincent added before Yuffie smiled with a nod before disappearing.

For another ten minutes the beast sat there, finishing his food as he pondered what the girl had said. _'Pretty to look at, but never being able to fly_.' Why did that sound so familiar? It nearly reminded him something said by someone he cared for greatly long ago…someone much like himself, but held the same compassion, the same innocence Yuffie composed. He almost thought it sounded like—

"HEY VINNIE, COULD YOU COME UP HERE?!" Yuffie called from the height of the stairs.

Almost dreading that nickname actually sticking, Vincent rose from his own seat, meaning to come back to tend to the dishes later. She probably just needed him to reach something for her; the walls in the castle rose well beyond his own height, making it a problem for her. After all, she couldn't have been greater than five and a half feet…

Brushing the thoughts away, the girl was actually missing from her spot as he climbed the grand stair case, going to the lip of it as he looked around for his "house-keeper". He called out her name once and she responded, clearly coming from the bathroom. Oh, he hoped that she had clothes on. As a matter of fact, he begged to the heavens that she did. Yet, as he heard the faucet squeak off, he feared the worst. What if he expected to help her bath? Oh, by the gods, he wouldn't be able to live with this woman. However, he couldn't just refuse her outright, either, for his bashfulness and proceeded to step into the washroom.

"Yuffie?" he asked, glancing around when he found the expanse empty.

Suddenly, the door slammed shut behind him before he felt a tremendous force shove him forward and _straight_ into the tub. He release a single, furious snarl before the water surprised him; its temperature was practically boiling, and besides all that, he _hated_ water. Immediately he made for the surface and broke through it, blowing out his cheeks as his skin panged from the abrupt changed in environment.

"First mission is _you_, Vinnie!" Yuffie's triumphant voice exclaimed from the other end of the room as her feet patted towards him. "I can see your grunge; and believe me, there's no way I'm staying in this house without everyone being clean!"

--

A/N: Bath episode is next. :) Read and review, please.


	4. Quack Quack Vincent Goes

_Author's Note_: Thank you to all whom reviewed in the last chapter! I'm so appreciative of your guy's thoughts!

_Disclaimer_: I do not own Final Fantasy VII.

_Chapter 4_: Quack, Quack, Vincent Goes

_God,_ how he hated water. Water reminded him of tanks. Tanks reminded him of pain.

It was the worst experience in the world.

"Yuffie-cough-you can't just…-cough-_do_ that to people," Vincent gasped, not opening his eyes as water continued to cascade down his face. Hands shuffled around the edge of the bath, trying to find something to dry his face off, when he felt the soft material of a towel doing the job for him.

"How else could I have gotten you in here?" the young woman asked while gently rubbing away the excess water, "I know you're not the type to do something out of your bubble, so this was my only choice. Don't worry, if you cooperate, this will be quick."

"I could've hit my head," he continued as he gave her a pleading look, even making the impossible ninja gnaw on her lip. "I could've gotten hurt."

"But you didn't," she returned while kneeling down in front of him and grabbing a bottle. "Is this the shampoo? There are no labels on these things, so I had to assume."

"I don't know," he responded, his arms still draped over the edge of the tub, looking as if he was ready to fall off the face of the earth rather than just being in the pool, "I don't even know if those things are non-toxic anymore. I don't know and I don't want to find out."

Yuffie stared at him for a moment, contemplating before she murmured, "Well, I guess we'll just have to test it!"

"No, Yuffie, don't," the beast murmured as he stepped back away from her, falling into a deeper part of the pool that surprised him and had him underneath the barrier of the surface, sending him into panic. His arms flailed, attempted to reach something around him as his throat filled up with the horrible substance, really sending him into a state of confusion and fear. Beneath him, an endless abyss, his own demons would come up to snatch him and drag him down to the fiery depths of hell…oh god, he didn't want any more pain! He didn't want to be numb, but he didn't want pain! Fear twisted in his mind, just before he found something in his reach and snagged it, when it began pulling on _him_.

Before he realized it, he had once more broken against the threatening surface of the water and gasped for air, distantly hearing the words, "Sh-sh, it's okay…you're all right…I'm here…"

For a moment, all Vincent could do was hang on paralyzed to the anchor, his limbs trembling as horrific memories flashed before his eyes. The experiments, the torture, the true face of evil as it tried to make a better, stronger man. But, in the end, what that evil made was no man at all…

Boy, Yuffie felt like crap. She wished she hadn't done the stupid idea of a bath; she certainly hadn't gotten to know Vincent that well to realize that he had a phobia of water. She sat on the stairs leading out of the pool, holding the other's head in her arms as she gently comforted him by stroking down his face. He'd captured her around the waist by two powerful arms and didn't seem to be letting go in the near future. A thumb smoothed down his cheek, briefly skimming over his bottom lip as it rounded his chin. Another hand ran a feather-light touch up and down his arm while holding him all the same, her legs keeping his upper body from slipping back into the clear, steaming pool.

Despite herself, she couldn't help but feel content with the sensation of someone in her arms, trusting her, holding her tight in need.

"It's okay," she whispered, crouching moreso as she hugged Vincent's head to her shoulder, his strained breathing making her heart beat with a solemn tone. "I'm sorry, Vinnie. I didn't mean to scare you like that."

"It…it's okay…" he replied in turn, releasing a single cough, but still refraining to move.

"No it's not…I should've known better," murmured the young woman, feeling a true and deep regret for her mistake, "I should've been more considerate."

"I…should've told you," he said in a husky tone, "I don't…like water. It turned me into this…thing."

"You're not a _thing_, Vinnie," Yuffie stated, albeit a little harshly. "Whatever made you afraid of water was that person's fault, not yours, not even the water's. It was theirs."

Vincent knew she was right, and knew he should've recovered by now and stood back, but for some reason, he had the hardest time pulling away from her arms. How long had it been since he'd been held like this? The feeling…the feeling was so lost on him it felt like the first time; and perhaps it was, considering the last time he was didn't really count. Though he should've turned away from her, the way her fingers ran down his arm, the caress of her hand on his cheek melted his intentions of isolation and kept him bound in her arms. By the heavens, he _wanted_ this.

Yuffie knew she should've stopped long ago. Long, _long_ ago. She should've seen if he was okay and that be the end, but the fact that he was staying at all simply beckoned her to continue. The sensation of her gut twisting, her cheeks flushed and her heart skipping, she just felt so…_needed_. For the first time in her life, the young woman felt like she belonged somewhere, doing something good. It felt…so absolutely wonderful.

"Everything's going to be okay," she whispered, setting her chin on his forehead, "I've got you."

Vincent relieved a sigh, closing his eyes briefly before he nodded and—finally—pulled himself away from the young female. Yuffie seemed content with his decision, but resumed touching his bicep as she reached for the towel and the bottled of soap once more. "Now, just _relax_. If it's starts to burn, then tell me. I'm not here to perform a vile experiment on you, y'know."

_If only you knew_, he muttered to himself, before he responded, "All right."

At this, the young woman took the bottle and poured some of the viscid formula into her hand—earning a rather disgusted expression from Vincent—before she beckoned him closer. "Turn around, now. There we go. Now kneel."

When he did so, Chaos was well aware of how close the water was from drowning him again. Swallowing his fears, he forced himself not to show any weakness. It was already bad enough what he did earlier; he didn't want to be quivering, but he knew he was. And though try as he might, it was getting harder and harder to control the contorted feelings of fear and apprehension that had built up in his gut. All those needles…the bitter concoctions that were forced down his throat…the countless surgeries…

"Vinnie?" Yuffie asked softly as she put her two hands on his shoulders and looked over at his face. "You're trembling; is there something wrong?"

"No, keep going," he said, though a little too curtly, but he couldn't help himself. If she kept making all these stops, he was going to end up losing it. He was already aware that she had lathered up his headdress, washed behind his neck and was beginning on his back and wings. However, even as she took a cup and began pouring away the suds, he felt his heart go to his throat and his beast instincts kick in. What made him stop, though, was the man in him telling him that this was Yuffie—this was the one person in over thirty years that hadn't abandoned him, left him to rot.

But that didn't stop her from noticing that something was seriously wrong.

Taking his face into her hands, she murmured, "If you're really this uncomfortable, just tell me to stop." Her face suddenly contorted and he found himself distracted by this before she added, "Oh my god, it just sounded like we were having sex. Okay, _anyways_…"

The off-beat comment alone was what helped Vincent break from his trance, and before he knew it he was laughing softly, a gentle smile sewn across his features. The young woman in front of him was clearly shocked by his reaction to her statement, but found herself joining him before long.

"Sorry, random I know. But seriously, if you're not feeling up to this—"

"No, go ahead, I'm fine," he said in a tone with almost—or at least—ten times the more relaxation and humor.

He knew this girl wasn't going to hurt him.

--

"I never knew that wings could be so ticklish!" Yuffie exclaimed as she attempted to dry the large beast, even as he continued to laugh.

"Neither did I," he breathed before going into another fit again as the younger one took even the smallest of corners, being sure that he was clean beyond comprehension before she released him into the castle again. But seriously—it might even take longer than she proposed with the way they quivered like that and the fact the guy just kept laughing his butt off.

"Well, I'll be sure to keep this in mind the next time you feel like being uncooperative," she said with a grin, making Vincent pale.

"Th-that's not fair, Yuffie!"

"It is, too! Seriously, you can just be so impossible sometimes!"

"Speak for yourself!"

"I know that I'm not some melodramatic bug-lover! Now kneel!"

"No, go away! I'll _air-dry!_"

"Vincent, come back here! _Vincent!_"

_Argh, he's going to drive me __**crazy!**_ The young woman thought with a growl, clutching the towel in her hand even as she saw the vampire disappear downstairs. Now he was going to get all dirty again and she would going to have to repeat the process—along with possibly having him freak out on her again. That thought alone was what made her stop as she glanced down at the towel, her grip loosening as she became lost in her mind. The way Vincent looked so helpless…he seemed like he could defeat anything with his might, but when it came to the simplest things like water, he…he got so scared.

What kind of person would do that to him?

Who was Vincent _really?_

Yuffie found herself needing to know; there was something in that basement that he was hiding, and that he didn't want her to see or know about. But why would he do that? Was it because he was afraid of her abandoning him?

The young woman stared after the hall before she turned and went back into the bathroom, starting to clean up. Yet, she just couldn't keep those thoughts from swamping her mind. Every time she would try to concentrate, she would just get that picture of Vincent in her arms again, his warm skin pressing against hers, his frame wracked with tremors as he sought comfort in the one person that had put him there. She almost wished she could just ask him to do it again, but damn, wouldn't _that_ be the most brainless thing she'd ever done in her life.

Besides, he probably didn't even like her.

--

God, those hands.

Those hands…those beautiful, beautiful hands. Why did she torment him so? Why instead of allowing him to wallow in misery, as he had been doing for the past thirty bloody years, she pushed him into a world of emotion, yearning and care? It was getting too much to bare—if she stayed much longer the way she did, he might go berserk. In one instance he could hardly stand the hurricane of a female, and the next he felt so…damn appreciated…so _belonged!_ He wanted to stab himself in the chest to stop this pain; he wanted the ache to go away and never come back.

But he knew it would come back; even if he would sent her to a completely different city, drove all evidence of her stay away, never saw her again…!

_No_, he swore to himself as he halted in his steps, his breathing labored as he stared out into nowhere, _it's just your imagination. You haven't seen anything that hasn't screamed at you and ran away in the past thirty years; of course you're…you're going to…go after her. She probably doesn't even like you_.

--

Yuffie was on a _roll_.

Despite the fact that the rooms were far more formidable than she had thought previous, in the end she got on such a good vibe by doing all this stuff, she was hitting one right after the other. Unfortunately, however, it seemed that it would take a bit longer cleaning up the entire place than she had first considered. Most of the halls she saw were layered in a thick cake of dust, filled with bugs and rodents alike. In the end she had to wash all of the extra stuff rather than just dusting it, while she patted the walls from their dusty confinements. At one wall, and to her horror, there appeared to be a roach's nest and the ninja practically rocketed down the stairs when she saw them come out of the wood.

Vincent had nearly been knocked over when she had tackled him, before practically yacking his ear off from her discovery.

That's when things got good.

In order to get rid of the bugs, Vincent went into the main closet of the castle and found an entire _chest_ of materia that made the girl nearly swoon. Before he could instruct her on the importance of precision and patience, however, she had already had dashed up the stairs and let loose one in the house. That had sent her into a little time-out, to say the least. From that point on, it was only Vincent who would be handling the materia.

"And if I see you with another of these damn things," he said as he pressed the lump on his head with some ice, "I swear you'll be sleeping with _bugs_ for the next week."

Point taken.

But the fact that he had shielded _her_ from the blast was cute in itself—so much so that she couldn't bring herself to by angry at him. As a matter of fact, she couldn't even stop herself from _smiling_ at him.

"What?" he asked as he gave her a decent glare, obviously still peeved from the earlier dispute.

"Nothing!" she exclaimed, that stupid grin still across her face.

He was starting to get crept out by the weirdo face she was making at him, but he couldn't bring himself to get anymore more angry at her. After all, the way she smiling madly like that wasn't what caught his attention compared to her huge, stormy grey eyes that shone against the sunlight that drifted into the room. Try as he might, things were getting more difficult the more she continued with her impulsive ways—they caught him off guard, forced him to act on emotions rather than on instinct most of the time. It was half-wonderful in the way he got to reconcile with them, but…on the other hand…

"Your room is next. One more night of having to listen to you stomp is going to kill me," he muttered while sinking in the chair morso, setting his gaze on her of full authority.

Yuffie appeared a bit put-down from the command for a moment before she nodded once more, rising from her seat before taking all of her equipment up to the room. Vincent watched her go and couldn't help but feel a _little_ guilty that he was pushing her away so much when she only had good intentions, but it was for her own safety. He couldn't bring himself to live any longer if he brought one more innocent life to its end—and the closer she got, the more chances of her getting killed was likely. _Damn this curse_, he hissed to himself, squeezing his eyes shut for a brief moment, _what makes me stronger only bring me more torment. _

--

"Vinnie?" Yuffie whispered, glancing around the dark, shadowed room. She could've sworn she heard something—and it definitely was _not_ bugs this time.

Barely having put a leg into the soft, clean confines of her bedspread, a soft whisper over her shoulder send a wave of fear crawling up her spine and goose bumps rapidly make their way across her body. Turning swiftly around, she saw nothing out of the ordinary, but her senses knew better. There was something in this room…something watching her, ready to come down upon her with a vengeance.

The young woman wanted nothing than to go and retrieve her dark knight, but she knew that if for the third night she made a fuss, he'd be angry at her for sure and she didn't want him to kick her out. She was really starting to like it here. Therefore, in an effort to actually give him some slack for once, she continued to slip into the bed. _It'll be morning before you know it,_ she pressed herself as she rested her head on the pillow. _And Vinnie will be proud. Sarcastically proud, no doubt, but proud nonetheless._ The idea of his freshly baked breakfast already was making her hungry, imaging the smells and the—

…_creeeeeeeeeeeeeeeak…_

_Okay, that __**definitely**__ did not sound good,_ the young woman thought with a twisted gut, squeezing her eyes shut before allowing them to open once more. The wide orbs scoured the room in haste, looking for any signs of disturbance or misplaced particles of the room. Everything looked and appeared to where it should be, though the shadows looked particularly dark tonight. Something certainly wasn't right—and it wasn't Vincent, as 'joking' was not even a word in his vocabulary. Gulping loudly, Yuffie strained to see to the end of her bed.

That's when she screamed, throwing off the covers and throttling herself down the grand staircase, not bothering to look back at the apparition that was closely following behind her. The image she had caught in her mind nearly made her have a heart attack; and not even Vincent's strong, baritone voice would be enough to keep her away from the basement he continued to take respite/brood in. Meanwhile as she bolted down the stairs and through the hallway, windows and curtains opened and closed without external pressure to make them do so. A soft hissing appeared over Yuffie's shoulder and she screamed yet again, kicking the door to the basement down with such power that it broke the hinges.

"I don't want to die!" she sobbed, skittering down the narrow, rotted staircase. Darkness wrapped around her small figure as she tried to barely escape them, every nerve in her body quaking for the sake of her. The stairs forked at the bottom, leading left and right. Towards her left seemed an endless expanse, the shadow at the end beckoning her, laughing at her. Meanwhile to her right, something smelled really, really bad and a mass of flies hovered over the spot where a dark curtain barely managed to conceal its identity. Not that she would take the time to look, of course.

A shiver trailed up the young woman's spine as she felt yet another soft murmur cascade from her feet and to her ear, yanking at her nightgown and tugging her hair. Before she knew it, Yuffie was eating away the distance of the left-side corridor with all the strength she had. _Oh, this is awful,_ she whimpered to herself as she coughed once in the presence of dust and something else.

A door suddenly appeared at the end of the hall, giving Yuffie a brief light of hope before she skidded to a stop in front of it, tugging at the handle to gain entrance. However, it seemed like a lost cause as it was not only locked, but any occupants inside were probably either dead or dead sleep.

"Please, open up!" Yuffie cried as she kicked the door, sending a nice dent into its damp surface, a sign of its exterior decaying. "Please!"

A sudden and extreme pain lashed across Yuffie's back and yet again she let out a loud shrill, whirling around just in time to see the grayish essence before her vanish in thin air. Behind her, there was a soft curse before the door whirled open, revealing a rather peeved Vincent. However, the young woman could care less of his irritation and immediately fled into his intimidating presence, right away feeling better that he was there, there to protect her. The beast, having no clue as to what was going on, simply stared at her for a moment as she threw her arms around his abdomen and began talking into his stomach, saying things he couldn't hope to comprehend.

"Yuffie, what happened?" he asked, taking her forearms in attempt to pry her crowbars of arms off of his body. "Calm down."

"There was—this thing—" she exclaimed through sobs, her tiny figure succumbing to tremors as she refused to be removed from her position glued against him. "It chased after me! It wouldn't go away!"

"What thing?" he asked, glancing down the hall that was bare of pretty anything but—a hall.

"A ghost! It was awful, Vinnie!" after that statement, she went silent as she tried to hold back her flailing emotions, probably trying not to sound strident in the presence of her protector.

Golden orbs watched the corridor steadily, beast instincts coming into play as he sniffed once and quieted his breathing so he could hear more appropriately. He stood there, frozen, for a good thirty seconds before all he could sense and recognize was Yuffie's poor attempt at hiding her trauma from the "ghost" that had just appeared. Finally, he relaxed and sighed as he glanced down at the young woman who remained clung to his side and looked absolutely rigid in her commitment to stay by his side for the rest of the night.

"I don't see or hear anything, but you may stay here," he said in defeat, finally closing the door. "Are you sure you saw something? Perhaps you're just exhausted."

"I did! I'm not! It was there, Vinnie! It tried to hurt me!" the girl croaked.

Vincent would feel annoyed if she didn't look so broken up right now—even Yuffie could not fake emotions like this, and there was no point in doing so anyways. Despite her unpredictable, seemingly stupid personality, he knew she was more clever and smarter than what other people let her on to be, and he knew that she knew that he would've been happier to have her remain in her room and sleep through the night. His response to her one-more-night-stomping-bugs routine was probably what brought on that deduction, so the fact that she saw something might indeed be more of a truth than an excuse to be with him.

Whichever the case, he was now stuck with a trembling, spooked young woman.

"Calm down," he murmured softly while placing the flat of his palm on her back. "It's all right."

Though no response came, Vincent could feel Yuffie physically relax against him and blushed somewhat, though didn't hesitate to keep her in his arms. Something suddenly caught his attention, however, as he felt a viscid material against his hand and drew it back, wondering what could've possibly cause it. Upon looking at it, however, he noticed what it was and gasped—blood.

"Yuffie, turn around," he ordered, his tone cloaked in a powerful spell of authority. She did as she was asked and he crouched as he saw the damage: the small ivory silk dress that was clinging to her body had a huge slash across it, accompanied by a gash that was deeply imprinted into Yuffie's light skin.

_Oh no…_

--

A/N: Sorry this took longer for me to update; I had those three chapters written before I even posted the story, and the fourth was note. I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless! Ghost scenes are hard to write.

Also, the rating will be going up to **Mature** for the next chapter because of a scene…it's not that bad, in all honesty, but I don't want this taken down because of some noob. Anyways, this will be a fair warning. There isn't any sex. Yet.

Read and review, please!


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